Day 1 Panel Discussion: How can agroforestry rise to the challenges?

The main aim of the discussion, explained Ravi Prabhu, the moderator, was to get the panel, with the help of the audience, to articulate the challenges facing agroforestry.

The six-strong panel included representatives of a wide range of different organisations and interests, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an Indonesian indigenous peoples’ group, a Kenyan goat farmers’ association, a major Indian industrial company, a network of African research institutes and an organisation devoted to the research and promotion of bamboo and rattan.

Following some 40 minutes of discussions with the panel, the moderator summarized the range of challenges facing agroforestry before inviting contributions from conference delegates. Some of the challenges related to policy issues; some were technical; some concerned partnerships and scaling up. One of the key challenges, identified by some of the panel and by speakers from the floor, related to the issue of communication. “To a considerable extent, agroforesters are still talking to themselves,” suggested Prabhu. “They’re not getting their message across to policy-makers and others who really matter.”

Download the full report of the Panel Discussion
See also: Plain Speaking